Simon,
I remember the mid sixties and the home-made big iron. For instance, the
Burnett
specials (Ford and Chev powered) in the Pacific Northwest winning invitational
races and taking home $300 as prize money. I agree that that era won't be back.
Mike
Simon Favre wrote:
> Jim,
>
> I'm surprised you and Myles seem to have ended up on opposite sides of
> this. Myles is usually the one grousing about how the chunky little
> sedans get no respect. ;=) It will vary greatly from club to club. It
> just so happens that several clubs have cutoff dates for production
> cars that fall before 1968. Myles and I race with CSRG, which has a
> cutoff of 1967. It used to be 1965, same as HMSA. If and when CSRG moves
> the cutoff date to 1972 or so, I guarantee you there will be Datsun 510s
> showing up. We have a butt-ugly, horrible-sounding SAAB that shows up,
> so a nicely turned out 510 would be an improvement. ;=)
>
> The thing about cutoff dates has been raised before. What many of the
> vintage racing clubs are trying to create is a snapshot in time of what
> many consider to be the Golden Age of Motor Racing, which they think
> falls between 1950 and 1965. This was an age when privateers and home
> built specials actually stood a chance. This was the time when people
> actually did drive to the track and compete for money in the family car.
> After this time period, the big money interests relegated all that to a
> sideshow in the amateur ranks. There will always be cars that are
> considered "not quite vintage". Standards vary.
>
> I for one, would love to see an under 2 liter challenge for true, historic
> Trans-Am cars like the BRE Datsuns and the Alfas. I'm afraid there just
> aren't enough of them available like the big bore cars.
>
> Jim Froula wrote:
> >
> > > Driving a LOTUS does take you a step higher in the snob appeal league,
> > > however. Although most of my Ferrari friends are embarassed to have the
> > > LOTUS guys even bus their tables....so you're still haven't MADE IT yet!!!
> > > But your a darn site closer than if you had a 510 or Sprite (sorry Datsun
> > and
> > > AH/MG drivers!!...but sometimes the truth hurts)!!
> > >
> > > OK...spam away again...
> > >
> > > Myles H. Kitchen
> > > 1965 LOTUS Cortina Mk1 #128
> >
> > Okay, since you asked for it. If the objective is a cost effective, fast,
> > easy to drive car with a good supply of parts, then why not a Datsun 510?
> > You might start by PLEASE explaining the huge resistance to Datsuns in
> > vintage racing. Is it the "racing heritage" thing? I no it can't be
> > design/engineering, can it? Or maybe the fact they never had a bright red
> > factory color?
> > I own a '68 510 as well as a Lotus Escort MkI. I have also experienced
> > the pain and agony of friends at the track working on their more exotic
> > marques. The guys that seem to make the biggest deal out of the stigma are
> > also the guys who pay people to bring their car to the track, work on it for
> > them and make their lunch. Believe me, I'm all for that treatment. But I
> > don't think they appreciate the overall package of the car (or cars) they
> > have chosen.
> > I'm not prejudice because of where a car came from. Or is that the big
> > deal? I do know the Ford is going to take ALOT more effort to be as fast as
> > the Datsun (but that's why I bought it, I like the challenge).
> >
> > For the beginner, I vote for a Datsun 510.
|